[April 06, 2014] We often hear that a leader “zero defects” mentality means a struggling organization that discourages risk-taking and creativity. Why is it that senior executive leaders fall into this trap and why is there a zero defect mentality in the first place when it can be so destructive? There is one clear critical facet of leadership… Read More »
[April 03, 2014] We can expect over the next few days a lot of talk and hype about the reasons for another deadly shooting at a U.S. military base and, of course, much speculation about the shooter. Further, the national media and others will use the tragic event to further their political agendas. We will hear most about… Read More »
[March 27, 2014] Beginning this week, in addition to the senior leader blog, I’ll occasionally introduce new topics that are joined to senior leader issues, but not so close that it deserves a leader tag. My first “off topic” will be about Baseball – it requires “heart” to play (passion), practiced study of the opponent (patience and intelligence),… Read More »
[March 21, 2014] It was interesting to get a short course on horseback packing, their care, and how to engage in a firefight while mounted. The U.S. Marine Corps conducts a hands-on training course at their Mountain Warfare Training Center on the military use of large animals in difficult terrain. Leadership means thinking beyond the obvious solutions and… Read More »
[March 04, 2014] Recently a private citizen pledged over $10,000 to Purdue University’s school of engineering in return for naming a conference room in one of their buildings. The plaque had God’s name on it, so Purdue removed the reference to “God” and did so without notifying the private citizen. This is not just another example of leadership… Read More »
[March 03, 2014] When serious automobile accidents occur it usually happens when there are multiple failures involving several driver errors. These errors are usually avoidable and involve simply not paying attention and not obeying the traffic rules. A few days ago, a unanimous panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals held that it was permissible for a… Read More »
[February 27, 2014] It is true that I have profiled more military flag officer leaders here than any other occupation. The reason is fairly simple and that is their leadership is written about and studied more than any other and under circumstances that are often under the direst conditions. General Patton has been considered one of the most… Read More »
[February 25, 2014] The declaration of a “war on drugs” by the President Nixon administration in 1971 was a continuation of U.S. government policy that had been in place, essentially since 1914. The United Nations and many senior leaders in government across the globe participated and are currently conducting policies that discourage illegal drug use. Sadly, there has… Read More »
[February 20, 2014] Rituals are a special part of daily life … a pattern of habits that allows us predictability. Rituals can be defined as a stereotyped sequence of activities that are designed to achieve a desired (and predictable) goal. Leaders need to be aware of them and encourage the good rituals. Rituals can be simple things like… Read More »
[February 17, 2014] Senior leadership is about providing a clear and compelling vision for the future, as well as how and with what to accomplish it. Adolf Hitler had a vision of the future and while it was clear and compelling for many German citizens, it was far from acceptable to the rest of the world. Hitler’s plan… Read More »